Season 2024 in Review

[nswarrior]

I have been so disappointed, after the last season.

Sure we had some bad luck with injuries and SJ having a blinder last year and a poor season this year hampered by injuries.

In hindsight it’s easy to say but our recruitment for 2024 was shocking - wasting money on RTS who is now too slow, CHT is not 1st grade level, Capewell is too old. Very Kearney like recruitment- all about culture but nothing about form and talent.

The team was too old and too slow all, we don’t have genuine 2nd rowers as Barnett, Nioukore and Ford have put on too much bulk and are better suited to prop. I feel this weakened our defence as the lateral movement was missing.

Added to the 2nd row issues apart from Barry, the centres, 1 wing and fullback are so slow. Oldest and slowest team in the comp.

Forwards made plenty of metres but we couldn’t do anything with it!

 

[Blair]

Dallin should be off to England. They'll love him - the flaying locks, the big dive - all over again.

 

[Big Marn]

Dallin should be off to England. They'll love him - the flaying locks, the big dive - all over again.

Yeh, he should do great in the Premier League. Theatrics and rolling around on the ground comes natural to him.

 

[Matua]

Tutae.

 

[JJ]

Tutae.

Referring to DWZ or the suggestion he should be moved?

really is time for a rebuild and a focus on development imo

 

[Matua]

Referring to DWZ or the suggestion he should be moved?

really is time for a rebuild and a focus on development imo

No, that's my review of the season.

I didn't feel the need to waste anymore words.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Theres a lot of dead wood that needs to be cleared and I'm not confident it will be. I'm very nervous about how next year will be, because a few egos might need to be chopped down to get the team we need to be competitive

 

[Meth]

1 more game to go, but autopsy may as well begin now.

5 games or more-

Adam Pompey C plus - A depth signing who played surprisingly well at times and to type at other times. Too slow.

Ali Leiataua B - A lot of promise. A bit injury prone?

Chanel Harris Tavita- C - Goal kicking was shaky, but he was never supposed to be kicking. We looked best with him at 6, but that was probably more to do with who was (and wasn't) at 7

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad- C - Hard working, but looking increasingly tired.

Dallin Watene Zelezniak- C minus - Great finisher, shaky defender. Sick of his milking.

Edward Kosi- D - A depth signing who gets a rough ride around here. I don't want to pile on. But he makes it hard not to.

Luke Metcalf- C- We missed him tremendously. Looked good when he was there, but just wasn't there.

Marcelo Montoya- C minus- Great attitude, but just not very good. Too slow.

Rocco Berry- C plus- Looked really good at times and lost at other times. Injury prone.

Roger Tuivasa Sheck- C plus- Showed glimpses of his class and potential, but never really worked out as a centre.

Shaun Johnson- F- His retirement was a year late and Webster's persistence with him was absolutely ruinous

Taine Tauipiki- B- made the most of the chances that he had.

Te Maire Martin- B plus- We looked better with him at 7. Everyone could see it. Well, everyone except one person.

Addin Fonua Blake- B- Finished particularly strong. Would have been an A if not for the mid season sulk.

Bunty Afoa- C- Solid defender. Seemed to play the hand that he was dealt, which involved minimally involvement.

Dylan Walker- B- Didn't seem to have the same game changing impact off the bench this year, but looks good at lock.

Freddy Lussick- C- A limited player who had some good moments.

Jackson Ford C minus- A couple of good games, but he's a depth player who the coach sees as a superstar. A bonehead.

Jacob Laban- C- Limited opportunities, but looks to have a huge upside.

Jazz Tevaga- C minus- Bad old habits crept into his game and he just seems to have lost his punch.

Kurt Capewell- C minus- Looked good at times and did some good work. Disappointing overall.

Marata Niukore- C minus- Didn't have the impact that we were hoping he would. Injury plagued year.

Mitchell Barnett- A plus- The only player who looked like he was where they all needed to be to really be a force.

Tohu Harris- C plus- Class, but busted.

Tom Ale- C plus- Continues to show promise. Solid defender and takes hit ups with punch.

Wayde Egan- B- Looked elite, then suddenly average.

Andrew Webster- F- Total failure. Sure, we had some injuries. But his overall game plan and his stubbornness with Johnson, his bench rotation, his game plan....just a total flop.

 

[JJ]

1 more game to go, but autopsy may as well begin now.

5 games or more-

Adam Pompey C plus - A depth signing who played surprisingly well at times and to type at other times. Too slow.

Ali Leiataua B - A lot of promise. A bit injury prone?

Chanel Harris Tavita- C - Goal kicking was shaky, but he was never supposed to be kicking. We looked best with him at 6, but that was probably more to do with who was (and wasn't) at 7

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad- C - Hard working, but looking increasingly tired.

Dallin Watene Zelezniak- C minus - Great finisher, shaky defender. Sick of his milking.

Edward Kosi- D - A depth signing who gets a rough ride around here. I don't want to pile on. But he makes it hard not to.

Luke Metcalf- C- We missed him tremendously. Looked good when he was there, but just wasn't there.

Marcelo Montoya- C minus- Great attitude, but just not very good. Too slow.

Rocco Berry- C plus- Looked really good at times and lost at other times. Injury prone.

Roger Tuivasa Sheck- C plus- Showed glimpses of his class and potential, but never really worked out as a centre.

Shaun Johnson- F- His retirement was a year late and Webster's persistence with him was absolutely ruinous

Taine Tauipiki- B- made the most of the chances that he had.

Te Maire Martin- B plus- We looked better with him at 7. Everyone could see it. Well, everyone except one person.

Addin Fonua Blake- B- Finished particularly strong. Would have been an A if not for the mid season sulk.

Bunty Afoa- C- Solid defender. Seemed to play the hand that he was dealt, which involved minimally involvement.

Dylan Walker- B- Didn't seem to have the same game changing impact off the bench this year, but looks good at lock.

Freddy Lussick- C- A limited player who had some good moments.

Jackson Ford C minus- A couple of good games, but he's a depth player who the coach sees as a superstar. A bonehead.

Jacob Laban- C- Limited opportunities, but looks to have a huge upside.

Jazz Tevaga- C minus- Bad old habits crept into his game and he just seems to have lost his punch.

Kurt Capewell- C minus- Looked good at times and did some good work. Disappointing overall.

Marata Niukore- C minus- Didn't have the impact that we were hoping he would. Injury plagued year.

Mitchell Barnett- A plus- The only player who looked like he was where they all needed to be to really be a force.

Tohu Harris- C plus- Class, but busted.

Tom Ale- C plus- Continues to show promise. Solid defender and takes hit ups with punch.

Wayde Egan- B minus- Looked elite, then suddenly average.

Andrew Webster- F- Total failure. Sure, we had some injuries. But his overall game plan and his stubbornness with Johnson, his bench rotation, his game plan....just a total flop.

I’d give AFB an A or A-, but no disagreement here, and pretty bleak tbh

 

[Meth]

I upgraded Egan to a B

On field, I would call AFB an A. But a full grade down for off field disruption

 

[Matua]

@Meth Top work on the ratings even though I don't agree with them all.

I thought AFB would be an even bigger distraction and he wasn't and he was immense on the field, so I'd upgrade him a plus.

It hurts me to say, we're from the same marae, but I'd drop Tohu down a minus. Couldn't play with any physicality and like SJ shouldn't have been playing when injured.

 

[Blair]

Tutae.

True, the season was.

Just on Addin (as we've been dscussing him) if he'd left at the end of June, like he wanted, and we still finished in a stinking heap, then we'd have said, 'see, we missed him so badly'.

However, he stayed, played well, and our club was still tutae. Which shows all our problems are much deeper than missing a great prop.

 

[Meth]

True, the season was.

Just on Addin (as we've been dscussing him) if he'd left at the end of June, like he wanted, and we still finished in a stinking heap, then we'd have said, 'see, we missed him so badly'.

However, he stayed, played well, and our club was still tutae. Which shows all our problems are mucher deeper than missing a great prop.

The best thing, perhaps the only good thing about our club in 2024 really, has been the Fonua-Blake and Barnett combination. The problem is that we cannot do enough with good field position with Johnson at the helm and no speed out wide.

 

[Big Marn]

Egans a C- at best for me. He had a wretched season and should have been down in Reserve Grade for the last few weeks but we had no one better. I dont know why Roache wasnt given more of a chance as the performances we got from Egan and Lussick were bog average. Kind of borne out by Egan not scoring any 3-2-1 points since Rd 6 and only missed 2 games in that time. Currently 10th on the list after round 24.

CNK is a B- for me. He has a heart as big as himself. Lots of debate over whether RTS should have been there and i guess that continues into the offseason.

 

[Alan Johnson]

Old is bad enough, slow is criminal. We've been a slow ass team for ages.

 

[hitro]

Hey what is the story with TMM? As far as I am concerned he was the most influential player in the team this year. When he played 7 they usually won even against Penrith. When SJ played 7 they mainly lost even against sides that usually lose. Coach had loyalty to SJ regardless, but SJ is retiring with one game left. I heard TMM is injured and it's a recurrence of the brain thing but only as a rumour, not in any newspaper or official communication. Has he got the brain problem again? Even if he hasn't does Coach rate him going forward?? Are they trying to recruit someone else at 7??? Management/ Coaching please explain

 

[Meth]

Hey what is the story with TMM? As far as I am concerned he was the most influential player in the team this year. When he played 7 they usually won even against Penrith. When SJ played 7 they mainly lost even against sides that usually lose. Coach had loyalty to SJ regardless, but SJ is retiring with one game left. I heard TMM is injured and it's a recurrence of the brain thing but only as a rumour, not in any newspaper or official communication. Has he got the brain problem again? Even if he hasn't does Coach rate him going forward?? Are they trying to recruit someone else at 7??? Management/ Coaching please explain

I have only heard neck issue

 

[nswarrior]

The best thing, perhaps the only good thing about our club in 2024 really, has been the Fonua-Blake and Barnett combination. The problem is that we cannot do enough with good field position with Johnson at the helm and no speed out wide.

Spot on - our forward made great metres. I think towards the best in comp. But we could do anything with it after the metres were made. Uncontested bombs and a slow motion inside ball were all we had. The halves lacked creativity and game management

As you pointed out in your initial post some of the slowest backs in the competition by a long way.

 

[Rich102]

I wonder Is Cam George's phone still running hot?

 

[sup42]

Probably will wait till the bye round when there is not much else to talk about to comment.
Real shame we end with a bye, what a fizzer to a disappointing season.